Electrical connectors are known which are configured to pinch a flat terminal with a clip contact. Japanese Patent Application No. JP 2017-091805A discloses a configuration in which a contact avoiding portion is provided in one housing. The contact avoiding portion is adapted to expand an open width of the clip contact in order to prevent a mating terminal from being damaged from contact with the clip contact.
In JP 2017-091805A, when the mating terminal is inserted, the contact avoiding portion enters the clip contact to expand the open width of the contact. This allows the mating terminal to be inserted into the contact without making contact with the contact. Then, as a moving housing moves in the process of mating of the connector, the contact avoiding portion is extracted from the contact. Thereupon, the open width of the contact having the mating terminal inserted therein is narrowed, and thus the mating terminal makes contact with the contact.
In JP 2017-091805A, the clip contact makes contact with the mating terminal without sliding thereon during mating of the connector. Therefore, if an insulating substance has adhered to the mating terminal, the interposition of the insulating substrate between the clip contact and the mating terminal may cause a contact failure.